Scaffold horse



April 1961 w. K, ASHENFELTER 2,980,201

SCAFFOLD HORSE Filed March 51, 1958 INVENTOR. WILLIAMKASHENFELTER BY WW ATTORNE United States Patent 2,980,201 SCAFFOLD HORSE William K. Ashenfelter, R.R. 1, Swanton, Ohio Filed Mar. 31, 1958, 'Ser. No. 725,097 3 Claims. or. 182-184) This invention relates to an improved adjustable trestle or horse for supporting scaffolds and the like.

A trestle according to the present invention has as its principal feature curved, adjustable supporting legs that can be moved in an acurate path to change the effective height of the scaffold platform which the trestle supports. The curved legs and supports therefor are wholly located below the scaffold, leaving the upper surface of the scaffold platform completely free. There are no posts of any sort to obstruct the operations of plasterers, painters, or other workers and there are no rods, flanges, or the like which would tend to trip the workers. The new trestle also can be adjusted to occupy a minimum amount of room so that it can be easily stored or transported in small trucks or station wagons to the job site. Further, the trestle can be easily fabricated of standard rods, pipes, and tubes so that the cost therof is low.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an adjustable trestle which is entirely located below a scaffold platform or the like which it supports.

Another object of the invention is to provide a scaffold trestle which can occupy a small space and is low in cost.

Otherrobjects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a trestle according to the invention shown with supporting legs in an extended position,

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of a portion of the trestle shown in Fig. 1 with the supporting leg in a retracted position,

Fig. 3 is an end view of the trestle with the supporting leg in an extended position,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section on the line 5--5'in Fig. 2.

Referring to drawing, a trestle 11 embodying theinvention is primarily designed for use in plastering, painting, or otherwise working on the ceilings of rooms I or on other elevated areas. Two or more of thetrestles 11 are employed with a plurality of planks or sheets of suitable material (not shown) which form the scaffold platform. The number of trestles used depends on the strength of the material making'up the platform and on its length. a

The scaffold platform-is directly supported: on a platform member 12 which in its illustrated embodiment, comprises two tubes 13 connected by a rod 14 that can move in and out of the tubes 13 to vary the width of the member 12 and adjust it to the desired width of the a When properly adjusted, the rod 14 scaffold platform. is maintained in a fixed position with respect to the tubes 13 by screws 15. The rod 14 has an enlarged portion A 16 at the center thereof to .providean even upper surface of the member 12 with which to contact the platform' which it supports.

A curved supporting leg 17 is associated with each of the tubes 13 and is of arcuate shape at least at an inter- Each of the legs 17 has a base 18" mediate portion. I extending outwardly on both sides thereof transversely to i the member 12 to provide lateral stability torthe scafiold.

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A first supporting guide 19 extends at least partially around the leg 17 and has a screw 20 which locks the leg 17 when in proper position in any suitable manner and is fixedly attached to the tube 13. A second supporting guide 22' extends at least partially around the leg 17 at a position closer to the foot end of the leg than the guide 19. The guide 22 is pivotally attached to a supporting bracket bar 23 by a rivet 24 to compensate for varying degrees of curvature in the legs. The bar 23 is suitably attached to the associated tube 13 in a direction generally perpendicular to the tube 22 to effectively bear the weight by the scaffold platform and load thereon. A brace 25 connects the supporting bar 23 and the tube 13 to add further strength. A tie rod 26 is connected to the terminal portions of the respective leg 17 to prevent spreading, particularly when in a retracted position.

The height of the platform member 12 can be adjusted to an unlimited number of positions between the lowest and the highest positions. This is simply accomplished by loosening the screw 20 and sliding the legs 17 in an arcuate path toward or away from they member 12, with a concave side of the legs 17 always facing away from the member 12. During this movement, the base 18 moved closer to or further from the platform member 12 and thereby changes the effective height of the scaffold platform when the base 18 is on the surface over which the scaffold is placed. When the leg 17 is in a retracted position, as shown in Fig. 2, the trestle 11 occupies a minimum of space and can be easily carried to and from the job in a small truck or station wagon.

A trestle according to the invention basically comprises a'plat-form member, a curved supporting leg, and means affixed to said member for slidably supporting the curved leg.

I wish it understood that my invention is capable of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A trestle for supporting a scatfold platform or the like comprising an elongate member on which the scaffold platform rests, at least two supporting legs for said 7 member of arcuate shape, each of said legs having only one supporting end adapted to support said elongate,

member on a supporting surface, first guides attached to intermediate portionsof said member, each of which guides is disposed around at least a portion of each of said supporting legs, and second guides attached to said member and spaced from said first guides toward the extremities of said member, each of which second guides at least partially extends around at least a'portion ofeach of said supporting legs, said second guides being disposed at angles to said first guides with said member, said guides, and said legs being disposed in a-common plane with V concave sides of said legs facing in opposite directions,

said legs being slidable in said guides to vary the distances the supporting ends of said legs are spaced from said elongate member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second guide is pivotally atta bed to its connecting means to vary the angle between said guides to hold said arcuate leg at any portion over the entire length thereof.

3. The structure according to claim 1, in v'vhich the z arcuate supporting legs have bracing means between the ends of each arcute leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,650 Kramer Sept. 7, 1909 983,172 Sheetz Jan. 31, 1911 2,410,330 Ashenfelter Oct. 29, 1946 2,687,932 I Hokanson Aug. 31, 1954 -Noxon July 16, 1895 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent Noe $980,201 April 18 1961 William IQz Ashenfelter It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

C0lumn l line 14 for "acurate" read ancuate column 2 line 64, for "arcute" read arcuate g Signed and sealed this 26th day of September 1961.,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER 7 DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 

